A new crisis is brewing near one of the world’s most crucial shipping lanes as Yemen’s Houthis and the United States square off.
The US injured and killed more than 100 people in strikes in Yemen on Saturday night, according to Yemeni media and sources.
The Houthis claimed a response on a US warship on Sunday evening, and the US bombed Yemen again after that.
What led to this tit-for-tat? Who started it? And what’s the purpose?
Here’s what we know.
What happened in Yemen?
The US has bombed Yemen for two nights in a row now, claiming to be targeting Houthi leaders.
The result on the ground has been the death of 53 people so far, including children. Nearly 100 other people have been injured in the attacks.
Where were the attacks?
US attacks have hit Sanaa – the capital city controlled by the Houthis – and its surrounds, as well as the northern governorate of Saada and the port of Hodeidah.
Who’s being targeted?
US officials say they are targeting Houthi leaders.
The Houthis, however, say children were among the killed and circulated photos of the alleged victims.
“[Trump’s] strikes were very clearly going after Houthi leadership, and didn’t seem to care if any civilians got in the way,” Nick Brumfield, an independent Yemen analyst, told Al Jazeera. “The strikes in Sanaa targeted a residential neighbourhood known to house a lot of Houthi leaders.”
What does the US want?
The US says it will bomb Yemen until the Houthis stop, with President Donald Trump claiming that the Houthis had “targeted our Troops and Allies”.
Trump and his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have also claimed that Iran is behind the Houthis’ actions and that it was now “on notice”.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced he had coordinated the attacks on Yemen with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.
Did the Houthis hit back?
The Houthis claimed two attacks on the US aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman and its warships. The US has not commented.
The Houthis denounced the attacks by the US and the United Kingdom, which did not partake in the actual bombing but helped with refuelling, according to the BBC.
Houthi spokespeople pledged retaliation for the US attacks.
Why is Iran catching heat?
US officials claim Iran is heavily backing the Houthi activities in the Red Sea.
Some claim the group is an Iranian proxy, though many analysts and think tanks such as Brookings and the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) instead consider them a willing partner.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the US government “has no authority, or business, dictating Iranian foreign policy”.
“End support for Israeli genocide and terrorism,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday.
“Stop killing of Yemeni people.”
What started this?
On March 2, Israel blocked all aid from entering Gaza, renewing the starvation of an enclave in desperate need of food and medicine.
Five days later, Houthi chief Abdelmalak al-Houthi set a four-day deadline – if Israel did not reopen the crossings and allow aid in, the Houthis would resume attacking Israel-linked ships passing through Bab al-Mandeb Strait on their way to the Suez Canal.
On March 11, spokesperson Yahya Saree announced the resumption of the Houthis’ Red Sea operations against Israeli ships in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, as well as Bab al-Mandeb.
The Houthis have been attacking ships connected to Israel since November 2023 to pressure Israel to end its war on Gaza.
The attacks stopped when a ceasefire was declared in Gaza on January 19, and the Houthis complied.
“They did shoot at an F-16 a few weeks back after the FTO [designation] and downed an MQ-9 saying it was in Hodeidah airspace; but in terms of shipping, they’ve abided by what they said they were going to do,” Brumfield said.
On March 4, the Trump administration reapplied the “foreign terrorist organization” (FTO) designation to the Houthis about four years after his predecessor, Joe Biden, removed it.
What effect have the Houthi attacks had to date?
The Red Sea receives almost 15 percent of global sea trade.
The Houthi attacks have forced much of that trade to take a much longer, more expensive route around the southern coast of Africa, raising insurance costs and affecting inflation rates globally.
The Houthis’ attacks have reportedly killed eight people and wounded others. Most of their attacks have not resulted in casualties.
Will the Houthis be deterred by the US attacks?
If their spokesmen are to be believed, probably not.
The Houthis’ Supreme Political Council said they would not be deterred but would “escalate the situation to a more severe and dire level”.
“Targeting civilians demonstrates America’s inability to confront the situation,” the statement added.
In the past, the Houthis’ Red Sea attacks and the subsequent US attacks on Yemen only helped the group’s ability to recruit fighters.
While these attacks may be bigger than what the Houthis previously experienced, there is little sign they are willing to give in.
Nassrudin Amer, a Houthi spokesman, wrote on X: “Our position is clear and our demand is simple: lifting the siege on Gaza and saving the people of Gaza from starvation.”
